haiti: the overview

At the Miami airport it hit me. I would be in Haiti in mere hours and I was starting to get a tad nervous about it. It all had happened so fast that I didn’t even really have time to think about it. Which may have been a good thing. When the opportunity arose I answered with an instant yes and once cleared with my boss the planning and preparation began and it was a whirlwind.

“It will change your life,” a native Haitian told me on the plane, “but you will love it and want to come back.”

As we flew over Port au Prince I felt so much different as we departed than when I had arrived. It was so easy for us to pack our things, get on a plane and be in the U.S. in less than 2 hours. So many Haitians would do anything to come to America – desperate for a chance and desperate to leave poverty behind them. It didn’t seem fair and in an odd way I didn’t feel ready to leave. I was trying to prepare myself on what I would say to people when they asked me how Haiti was. I was at a loss for words. “It was a great experience” does not even begin to explain what Haiti now means to me.

On my way home I read “On That Day, Everyone Ate” by Margaret Trost. This inspiring story and vivid descriptions of her time in Haiti left me longing to do more. Her foundation, What If? is a food program that feeds thousands on a daily basis and has brought with it joy and hope to a community who needs it. $0.70 provides a meal and the love that comes along with it. This is a charity that I can definitely feel good about supporting.

Comments

& I totally know what you mean, that its surreal that you can just get back on a plane and come right back to the US with no problem. When I went to Guatemala I felt the same way. You really realize how blessed your life can be! What a way to start the holiday season!

& I totally know what you mean, that its surreal that you can just get back on a plane and come right back to the US with no problem. When I went to Guatemala I felt the same way. You really realize how blessed your life can be! What a way to start the holiday season!

Hi, I’m Emily

I love simple, delicious food that happens to be healthy. And that's what I share here! My husband and I live in Los Angeles (but are both from the Midwest) and I work at an anti-hunger nonprofit. Read More…